Which to buy- .44mag or a 357mag (not a VS)

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jlott00

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ive got a 9mm, so im wanting a real power house, i may possible hunt with it....but not very often. i know i like the idea of having a "big" gun to take to the woods or carry in very uncertain situations...when im not feeling the 9mm.
i also like the idea of "bear" protections....and i just like shooting

All in All i dont have a huge reason to buy one...i just want it

so which do you think would fit the bill better?

in my mind the 357 can do anything the 44mag can besides drop a grizzly..am i correct in this thinking?

Im leaning towards a 627 (not performance series) 4in half lug
I really like the classic model 27 4in but im a little concerned about the nickel finish
or maybe a 629 3in talo edition or normal 4in 629
and i even have thought about the talo engraved sp101 ruger
 
flip a coin. you have said yourself you have no real reason for either. let chance decide
 
if you want a CCW gun (like the SP101) go with .357mag

otherwise, .44mag is a lot of fun

Everyone should own at least one (but then again I'd say the same thing about a .357mag).

Get the .44 first because its so far removed from what you already have ... you'll end up with a .357 mag too eventually :evil:
 
I absolutely love my 6" GP100 in 357. its a fun round with a lot of power. for fun shooting, i don't think id go to a 44 mag unless i reloaded light. if bears are an issue i think id go all tge way to 454 casull. no matter what i would go with a longer barrel. more fps and longer sight radius
 
If you load your own ammo, then I would say it's a toss up. .44 will cost a bit more to load, but not a deal breaker.

If you do not load your own I would say .357.

If you want to shoot it alot I would again recommend .357.

Having fired both on many occasion, the .357 is much easier on the body, and the wallet. I own 4 different firearms chambered in .357 magnum (3 revolvers and 1 rifle), and currently zero in .44 magnum.
 
My vote goes to .357

I have owned both and shot both extensively... .357 is easier to shoot all day. I can think of very few things that the .44 really outshines the .357 on. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE them both. But think about the cost/benefit ratio of .44 vs .357.

Although if you are a 1 box of ammo a year type of shooter, price shouldn't really matter that much, and everyone should experience them both.

Your choice
 
_N4Z_ said:
If you load your own ammo, then I would say it's a toss up. .44 will cost a bit more to load, but not a deal breaker.

If you do not load your own I would say .357.

If you want to shoot it alot I would again recommend .357.
Click to expand...

Agreed. If you shoot factory ammo and want to shoot often, I suggest a .357. If you reload and are not recoil sensitive......I say get the .44.

jlott00 said:
ive got a 9mm, so im wanting a real power house, i may possible hunt with it....but not very often.
Click to expand...



In that case I suggest you check you state hunting regs as some states require minimum caliber and minimum barrel length for handgun hunting.


jlott00 said:
in my mind the 357 can do anything the 44mag can besides drop a grizzly..am i correct in this thinking?
Click to expand...

Within certain limits. A .44 will have a tad more range and a tad more knockdown power. But used within it's limitations, the .357 can be very effective. On two legged varmints it's all you'll ever need.
 
357 is more versatile if you want to carry it. You can also shoot cheaper 38 special to stay sharp. If you do take it packing in the woods, the extra pound or two for the 44 will get old quick.
 
If money is no issue- go with the .44 mag. Everything that comes after will fall underneath.

If you reload it is even better. The 44 special is a smooth round. Very easy to shoot. And the full on power of the magnum is a great experience. I love it. I fiend for it.

.357 magnum is a great cartridge too. They are decently powerful. As mentioned, you can also shoot .38 specials through one. Although they are not all that fun. I equate them as the .22lr of handguns. The entry level cartridge for beginners.

I can and do shoot .44 magnum all day long no problems. If you can handle it, you can handle anything below. After shooting 44 mag, stepping down to .38 special is rather disappointing. I don't even reload .38's because I have no desire to shoot them. It seems like I could be shooting a .357 mag instead. Every once in a while, I will get a box of .38's. But it only takes one box to remind me why I don't do it often.

Anyways, you will have both before it is over with. Everyone should.
 
in my mind the 357 can do anything the 44mag can besides drop a grizzly..am i correct in this thinking?
Click to expand...
No! You are incorrect. The 44 mag is superior to the 357 mag in every way as a hunting caliber. But, I wouldn't even trust a 44 mag to drop a grizzley either. For that, you'd need to go to a rifle or higher power handgun, like a 454 etc., IMO.
 
jlott00,

My all time favorite cartridge is the 44 Magnum. It can drive a bowling pin off a table with far more authority than a 357, even if the 44 is downloaded to 850 - 900 fps levels. I can create much more power and can also be downloaded to incredibly docile loads.

A previous poster wrote the caveat of making sure the gun would be legal to hunt where you plan to use it for hunting.
 
It's worth noting that the higher cartridge chambering you go with, the more power you're capable of in loads with it. But you can still download to super-light loads with hand loading. So you can get a .44 Magnum and make loading as light as .38 Special, but that .357 can only ever get as powerful as a .357.

Not that that's a bad thing! .357 has plenty of muzzle energy, especially in longer barrel lengths. It's also cheaper to shoot, and easier to find if you don't hand load. I'd say if .44 is more versatile, .357 is more accessible. And both are plenty of gun for anything smaller than a bear. I plan to get a Ruger Blackhawk in .357 as a companion for hiking in the mountains of Colorado, some day...
 
I'm trying to sell my .44 Magnum and there is no way in hell I'll ever get rid of my SP101, so that should tell you which side I vote for..
 
I just sold my 44 magnum a Taurus with a 12" barrel that I used for hunting deer and hog.
It was a great pistol to shoot in my younger years. I own the 686 smith and wesson which is also sweet. Flip a coin and buy, better yet since you have no real reason buy both.
 
Well, I've got a couple of .357Mag guns and I really enjoy all three to where they are not going anywhere anytime soon. But the fellow that said you can download the .44 to suit your tastes but that the .357Mag would never be anything more is 100% right. Shooting the .357Magnum from my Model 19 will rattle my teeth good. But shooting that same round from my heavier N framed Model 28 is like child's play. Meanwhile an N frame or equivalent Ruger in .44Mag has some real "presence" to it. And as mentioned you can download it to be just what you want or upload it for the Ruger Blackhawk to over the usual limit.

One thing that an N frame or Redhawk or Blackhawk will never be is a CCW gun. Even with a short barrel a frame big enough to hold up to .44Mag is just a plain ol' big gun. For open carry like in the woods for hunting or for playing at the range or for those states and times were open carry is permitted they would be fine. But I just can't see a lot of folks hiding a gun that big very effectively.

Now let's get to the fun part. Shooting the bigger bore guns is a TOTAL HOOT! ! ! ! ! Loaded with 2400 or H110 the flame and fire show is worth the price of admission. And both those powders are a little slower burning so the recoil is more of a thump than a snap. That helps a lot I've found. But you'll only get to play with all the variations and flexibility in loads if you reload. If you don't want to get into reloading then just walk away from the .44 or anything else bigger because buying factory will not only bankrupt a guy but you won't get to experience at least half the fun that can be had from these guns.
 
in my mind the 357 can do anything the 44mag can besides drop a grizzly..am i correct in this thinking?
Click to expand...
Uh, no. For all the reasons mentioned. The .357 is minimal for whitetail and should be relegated to experienced handgun hunters who understand and can work within its limitations. The .44 whips it up one side and down the other. From screaming 180's@1800fps to thumping monster masher 355's@1200fps, the .357 is left hopelessly behind.
 
If your goin to do alot of hiking i would go with the 357. Also the ammo is cheaper. But the 44 mag is a great pistol and I think everyone should own one in there life. Ruger Blackhawk great pistol.
 
id get a 6inch gun or a 8inch
for bear id say .44mag
or .454 or .460mag then you can shoot .45long in it
my 4in 357 k frame is to big to ccw my glock 22 hides better and thats too big
who would hunt with a 4in gun
 
If one does not reload, how practical and enjoyable are the factory .44 Magnum loads?

gd
 
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